John Hawkins

John Hawkins (1532-12 November 1595) was an English privateer and trader. Making a profit from the Triangle Trade of England-North America-Africa, Hawkins traded slaves as well as plundered Spanish ships; he operated alongside his cousin Francis Drake.

Biography
John Hawkins was the cousin of Francis Drake, and in the 1560s he accompanied his cousin on illegal trading and privateering voyages to the Spanish-ruled Caribbean. Drake narrowly escaped with his life when Hawkins' ships were trapped between spanish galleons and shore batteries at San Juan de Ulua (in present-day Mexico). In 1588, Hawkins was instrumental in building up the strength of the Royal Navy to meet the Spanish Armada as it invaded England from France; his training of the navy resulted in its victory.

In a resumption of his earlier Caribbean privateering, he joined with Drake in 1595, but by this time Spanish defenses had strengthened. The voyage was already a failure before both Hawkins and Drake died of dysentry.